Dolphins Rookie Playtime: A Decade of Draft Class Impact

Three weeks into the NFL regular season, the Miami Dolphins ' rookie class is on pace for the second-most snaps (6,845) played in the regular season over the past decade. Five of those players have already eclipsed 100 snaps played through three games: offensive guard Kadyn Proctor , linebacker Jacob Rodriguez , cornerback Chris Johnson , safety Michael Taaffe and wide receiver Chris Bell . Wide receiver Caleb Douglas has played 92 snaps despite missing more than a full game due to injury.

Dating back to 2016, seven teams have had a rookie class play at least 6,000 snaps over offense, defense and special teams during the regular season. How did those teams fare that season and beyond? Were those players contributors over the remainder of their respective careers? Let's take a look.

7. 2025 Cleveland Browns: 6,001 snaps

The book on Cleveland's 2025 rookie class will not be written for a few more years, but the group contributed to just five victories.

Linebacker Carson Schwesinger won Defensive Rookie of the Year, whereas tight end Harold Fannin Jr . and running back Quinshon Judkins were in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Defensive tackle Mason Graham has popped early in the 2026 season but was volatile during his rookie campaign.

Oh yeah, then there were quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel .

The group's overall impact has already been greater than that of the next time Cleveland representatives appear on this list.

6. 2019 New York Giants: 6,082 snaps

New York is the only team on this list with more than one first-round pick — they had three. Quarterback Daniel Jones , cornerback DeAndre Baker and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence combined for 42.5% of the team's total rookie snap count. Those three players really symbolize the stages of success in a first-round pick's career.

Second-round edge rusher Oshane Ximinez was sandwiched among those three players, but wide receiver Darius Slayton and safety Julian Love have had the most staying power in the NFL among the rest.

The Giants had four victories that season, but in fairness, the franchise has not reached double-digit wins since 2016.

5. 2017 San Francisco 49ers: 6,126 snaps

Several of the 19 rookies who played in San Francisco in 2017 had more than a ceremonial cup of coffee in the NFL. Tight end George Kittle continues to defy Father Time as an integral part of Kyle Shanahan's offense to this day.

Other offensive players synonymous with the 49ers during that time period included running back Matt Breida , wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and quarterback C.J. Beathard .

Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon , safety Adrian Colbert , linebacker Reuben Foster and defensive tackles Solomon Thomas  and  D.J. Jones all had varying degrees of impact on the roster. Jones went from a key reserve to a fixture on one of the best defenses in the NFL ( Broncos ).

San Francisco opened the 2017 season 0-9, including five consecutive games decided by three points or fewer. They won six of the last seven games.

4. 2019 Miami Dolphins: 6,265 snaps

Third-round center Michael Deiter started 15 games for the Dolphins that season. He remains in the league with the Broncos.

Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins , who was the No. 13 overall selection, was the crown jewel of that draft class. In one of the past decade's more criticized moves, Miami elected not to re-sign him when his contract expired. For non-football-related reasons, the franchise has since been vindicated for that decision.

Twenty-one rookies played for the AFC East team that season, but edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel has had the most lasting impact.

After a sluggish 0-7 start, the Dolphins won five of their last nine games. It set the stage for them to go 10-5 in the final season of Brian Flores' direction.

3. 2022 Chicago Bears: 6,446 snaps

The Bears ' 2022 draft class has been a mixed bag. They did not have a first-round pick, but selected defensive backs Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker in the second round. Gordon has struggled to stay healthy, and Brisker has since left the team after fizzling out following a strong start to his career.

Chicago did identify contributors on Day 3 of the draft and beyond. Offensive tackle Braxton Jones , edge rusher Dominique Robinson and linebacker Jack Sanborn all fall into that bucket.

In 2022, quarterback Justin Fields and the Bears got off to a quick 2-1 start but won just one game over the remainder of the season.

2. 2024 Los Angeles Rams: 6,464 snaps

Eighteen rookies played for the Rams in 2024. Several of those players have been valuable for Los Angeles in more ways than one. For example, edge rusher Jared Verse was a part of a package that led to the team acquiring Myles Garrett and set into motion the return of Aaron Donald . Verse was the team's No. 19 overall selection.

In addition to Verse, the team brought in defensive tackle Braden Fiske , linebacker Omar Speights , safety Kam Kinchens and wide receiver Jordan Whittington , all of whom are starters on a team favored to win the Super Bowl two years later. Running back Blake Corum and defensive tackle Tyler Davis also came from this draft class.

1. 2016 Cleveland Browns: 7,185 snaps

Eight rookie players had over 500 snaps played that season for the Browns . Who could forget names like Spencer Drango , Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Derrick Kindred ?

Time will tell what comes of this year's Dolphins team, but the 2016 Browns may be the best example for them. NFL teams are required to carry 53 players on their active roster, and 11 are expected on the field at any given point. Miami's roster, on paper, is one of the most talent-deficient in recent memory. Cleveland had two of the first 32 picks that year because New England forfeited its first-round pick as a result of the Deflategate investigation.

Cleveland went on to win one game; they did not win any the following year.

Five quarterbacks, including Robert Griffin III , took snaps for the Browns that season. Had it not been for a 94-yard performance from receiver  Terrelle Pryor Sr. in the regular season finale, the team would not have had a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver.

Linebacker Joe Schobert and edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah were the most productive from that rookie class.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/where-dolphins-rookie-class-ranks-among-play-time/)._